Chapter 2 Thinking About the Field Traditions and Context Dobkin Pace Communication has the potential to shape identities relationships environments and cultures 1 Seven Traditions in the Communication Field a tradition because theoretical development doesn t occur naturally but happens over time a Robert Craig Communication theory is a vast and often unwieldy area of study and to this end provided categories to aid over understanding of it As a result we want a classification system that breaks theory down so we can understand it i Rhetorical Tradition Practical Art We are interested in public address public speaking and their function in society speaking effectiveness 1 Helps us to understand the influence of speech and how we can cultivate our public 2 Gives us ability to reflect on different viewpoints before arriving at a personal view 3 Involves elements pertaining to language audience appeals ii Semiotic Tradition Study of signs signs are representations of the bigger picture 1 Most common signs are words language usage words are arbitrary have no common meaning until we share a common language 2 Do words have appropriate meanings No words change as the people using the words change 3 What we usually think of as natural should be re thought and considered in context iii Phenomenological Tradition Personal interpretation of everyday life and activities 1 Intuitive process involves looking at things and events through a personal lens 2 Communication is marked by an experience of otherness people try to attain authenticity by eliminated biases in a conversation 3 Beliefs should not influence conversations iv Cybernetic Tradition Analyzes problems in the communication process pertaining to noise 1 Attempts to unravel the complexities of message meaning by emphasizing the unpredictability of the feedback we receive a Individuals are not responsible for systematic outcomes 2 Individuals enter communication process with different abilities v Socio Psychological Tradition Cause Effect model our behavior is influenced by something else Our own communication patterns and the patterns of others vary from person to person social psychologists must unravel such patterns 1 Advocate Carl Hovland Analyzed attitude change and investigated the extent to which long and short term recall influences an individual s attitudes and beliefs 2 Use experimental research to understand causal links vi Socio Cultural Tradition Our everyday interactions with others depend heavily on preexisting shared cultural patters and social structures 1 Individuals are part of larger groups who have unique rules and patterns of interaction 2 Acknowledge become sensitive to the many kinds of people who surround us do not group people 3 Appeals to co creation of social order reality 4 Communication allows people to produce maintain repair and transform 5 Dialogue interaction are characterized by voice an individual point of view that inevitably finds its way into everyday conversation vii Critical Tradition Concerned with injustice oppression power and linguistic dominance critiques social order and imposing structures or individuals on that order 1 Karl Marx Power in society has been hijacked by institutions that have no concern for the working class 2 We should openly question the assumptions that guide a society in order to expose our beliefs and values that guide our decisions and actions 2 Seven Contexts Environments in which communication takes place backdrop for researchers to study phenomena provides clarity i Situational Contexts Limited by a number of factors such as people present feedback available channels and space between communicators b Intrapersonal Communication Communication with oneself what role does cognition play in human behavior i Internal dialogue that may take place even in the presence of another individual ii Extremely repetitive always engaging in it iii Variety of contexts imagination perceptions daydreams etc iv Includes attributions you may make about another person s behavior or about your own behavior v Self Esteem The degrees of positive orientation people have about themselves c Interpersonal Communication Face to face communication between people Contemporary views incorporate a technological lens that makes communication mediated but still interpersonal i Analyzes formation of relationships maintenance of relationships and the dissolution of relationships ii Associations with relationships risk power teasing gossip liking attraction emotions etc d Small Group Communication A number of people who work together to achieve some common purpose focuses on task groups and their nature group roles boundaries trust i Must be at least three people in the group but the more people the greater the opportunity for more personal relationships to develop ii Cohesiveness The degree of togetherness and bonding among group members influences the efficiency and effectiveness of a group iii Synergy The intersection of multiple perspectives in a small group iv Networks Communication patterns through which information flows 1 Who speaks to whom in what order v Roles Positions of group members and their relationship to the group e Organizational Communication Communication within and among large extended environments i Very diverse entails interpersonal encounters public speaking opportunities small group situations mediated experiences ii Clearly defined hierarchy exists things or persons are ranked one above the other iii Organizations should be viewed as social entities to speed up production employers must consider workers attitudes and feelings iv Hawthorne Experiments A set of investigations that ushered in a human relations approach to f Public Rhetorical Communication Dissemination of information from one person to a large group i Three primary goals To inform to entertain to persuade Persuasion is the core of rhetorical ii Rhetoric A speaker s available means of persuading his or her audience Includes study of texts speeches presidential inaugural addresses and rhetorical analyses of cultural themes and issues iii Communication Apprehension Sense of fear of speaking before an audience focuses on organizations communication intrapersonal issues g Mass Media Communication Targets large audiences with multiple channels of communication i Mass Media Refers to the channels or delivery modes for mass messages 1 News papers videos CD ROMs computers TV radio and so forth ii Mass Communication
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